Electronic Ignition

[simbey1982]

Have a 120 OMC "iron duke" straight 4 engine with a Mercruiser Sterndrive

Just pulled the boat out for the first run of the year. Wouldn't start and had no spark, so I change the points and condenser. Long story short it isn't running right (Posted about that in another topic).

My question is if anyone has experience taking the points and condenser out of the system and using an electronic replacement here is a link to one I found online. Does it work? is it more reliable? general thoughts?

http://www.hot-spark.com/1-OMC-Marine.htm

Cory

 

[Bondo]

Have a 120 OMC "iron duke" straight 4 engine with a Mercruiser Sterndrive

Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard again,.... you call yer motor, Iron Duke, but it's Not,....

The Iron Duke is the Pontiac based 151cid GM motor,...

Yer's is the 153cid Chevy based marine/ industrial GM motor,...

'bout the only things they got in common is they're both 4 cylinders, built by GM,....

 

[Gilded_Splinters]

On the main forum, scroll down a bit and look for a thread entitled "Electronic ignition conversion question".

I (finally) got some good advice there.

 

[simbey1982]

Bondo thanks for the correction.

Gilded_Ill check out the thread thanks

 

[simbey1982]

What I am seeing is you can do it but it is not as reliable as points system and a lot more expensive? Other thoughts?

 

[HorizonblueDK]

Some time ago, I installed the HotSpark kit on a pair of 165 hp OMCs in a 25 footer(friends boat). When the engines had ran for 1? hour, they died and were impossible to restart, before they had cooled off. I didn't have time to do a lot of investigating, so I installed new points and the boat could run forever again. A plausible explanation was that the resistance in the coils were on the low side and one alternator was overcharging just a little. At least this is what I found out, afterwards, but I never gave the HotSpark a second chance. The conclusion for me was that electronic ignition is more sensitive.

 

[Scott Danforth]

there is a pertronix kit for these older OMC's however I simply kept a new set of point in the glove box with a set of feeler gauges. in the 16 years that OMC was in the family, never once did we have a problem on the water with it running like a top.

the drive on the other hand......:facepalm:

 

[simbey1982]

Sounds good, I got my dwell meter, remote start, and timing light. Ill pick up an extra set of points and keep them on hand. Needed to learn something new anyway

 

[simbey1982]

Sticking with the points ignition thanks all.

 

[Bondo]

Sticking with the points ignition thanks all.

Ayuh,.... Just be forewarned, they're an Annual maintenance item,...

They'll glaze over, 'n not fire the coil sometimes after sittin' over winter,.....

A piece of emery cloth, 'n a matchbook will get 'em runnin',...

 

[Scott Danforth]

Ayuh,.... Just be forewarned, they're an Annual maintenance item,...

They'll glaze over, 'n not fire the coil sometimes after sittin' over winter,.....

Agreed on the annual maintenance, however my experience is they always crud up over any period of non use and I need to run a point file across them every spring and reset dwell and timing.